Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a composition comprising the fruit Phoenix dactylifera and/or an active ingredient derived therefrom and a method for administering the composition to a subject to inhibit effects from exposure to a biological venom or a chemical toxin.
Description of the Related Art
The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Dates, the fruit of the date palm Phoenix dactylifera are virtually fat, cholesterol and sodium free. They provide essential vitamins and minerals—such as B-complex vitamins, magnesium and iron. They also contain fiber as an insoluble component. Dates provide a wide range of essential nutrients, and are a very good source of dietary potassium. The sugar content of ripe dates is about 80% while the remainder consists of protein, fiber, and trace elements including boron, cobalt, copper, fluorine, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc. The glycemic index for three different varieties of dates are 35.5 (khalas), 49.7 (barhi) and 30.5 (bo ma'an). The caffeic acid glycoside 3-O-caffeoylshikimic acid (also known as dactylifric acid) and its isomers, are enzymic browning substrates found in dates.
The fruit of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), because of its tannin content, has been used in traditional medicines as a detersive and astringent in the treatment of intestinal disorders. Dates have also been used in the form of an infusion, decoction, syrup or paste to alleviate the symptoms of sore throat, colds and bronchial catarrh. Dates have also been said to counteract alcohol intoxication.
The Al-Ajwah is a palm tree cultivated in the Madinah region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Al-Ajwah tree produces Phoenix dactylifera having physiologically useful properties. Specifically, the Ajwah date has anti-inflammatory properties similar to commercially available drugs like ibuprofen and aspirin. The inhibition rate in Ajwah is equal to existing commercial anti-oxidant products available in the market. The dark brown Ajwah date from the Madinah region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is known for its softness, dryness and high price in the Kingdom's date market. According to health experts, Ajwah dates contain many flavonoid glycosides, which have anti-oxidant properties. Beyond the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, the sugar in Ajwah dates is only monosaccharaides, making the date beneficial for people who suffer from Type 2 diabetes. Ajwah dates are also found to have a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitory effect that is similar to commercial anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, celebrex and naproxen. Ajwah dates contain potassium. Potassium is beneficial for controlling diarrhea. They are easily digestible, which helps to cope with the problems of diarrhea and food poison. Ajwah dates have a high content of iron which makes them great home remedies for reducing iron deficiency. Anemic patients are advised to eat several dates on a daily basis to raise their level of iron in the blood and dates are also helpful in increasing hemoglobin levels in the body.
Dates are of course also widely used as foodstuffs, and it is known to produce date pastes and date preserves, e.g. for use in bakery products and confectionery. However, the fibrous nature of the date material, and the presence of insoluble material within the dates, means that such preparations are generally rather inhomogeneous, have a poor mouth feel, and are difficult to formulate into a pharmaceutically acceptable liquid or compress into a tablet. Dates have been used to produce various date juice products. These are often clear or clarified liquids, containing only soluble components of the date. However, such products have found little use, due to their rather poor and bland taste. Attempts have also been made to prepare date-based beverages.
Some of these beverages have been carbonated, some not, but generally they have required reinforcement with organic acids and additional flavors in order to produce acceptable tasting products. Date syrups have also been produced, but again they comprise substantially only the soluble components of the dates, and are produced by extraction of the date juice, clarification and concentration. Date spread is also known, and fits between date paste, made of the whole date flesh, and date syrup, from which all non-solubles have been removed.
Conventional preparations of dates have characteristics different from modern medicines, such as elegance, consistency, reproducible quality, safety, physical, chemical and microbiological stability and bioavailability. There is a dearth of clinical evidence of efficacy or reports of any clinical trials carried out to demonstrate efficacy of dates in the aforementioned or any other ailments. One possible reason for the lack of clinical trials is that there are, at present, no reliable, stable, safe, convenient and pharmaceutically acceptable preparations of dates. Useful oral liquid and solid dosage forms of dates have yet to be thoroughly described.